There are 17 miles of public beaches
on Block Island so your dog will get an ocean swim. Crescent
Beach, a few pawprints from the ferry landing, is the most convenient
but crowded in-season. As the new arrivals fan out from the ferry
the beaches offer more room for your dog. One beach that is too
small for sun worshippers but ideal for dogs is just south of
Old Harbor along Spring Street - as you reach the crest of a
hill drop down to the sand in front of a guardrail for great
canine swimming along a breakwater in frisky waves.
Block Island rests off the Rhode Island
mainland, about an hour ferry ride away. Most daytripping dog
owners take the trip without a car and queue up with their dogs
ready for some spirited walking on the island. The ferry rate
per person is less than $20 round trip and dogs ride free.
Once on the island there are two famous
beach bluffs within walking distance: to the north is Clay Head,
the one you see on the ferry, and to the south are the Mohegan
Bluffs. To do both in one day on foot is quite an undertaking
so without transportation you will be forced to decide on a destination.
This is not a win-lose proposition by any means - especially
since you'll probably vow to return to Block Island again.
If you head for Mohegan Bluffs, you will
be using The Greenway, a system of about 12 miles of footpaths
crisscrossing the southern half of Block Island in the tradition
of walking the English countryside. What is your dog interested
in? Open fields? Sporty hills? Long vistas? A romp on the beach?
A swim in a pond? Unique woodlands? The Greenway has them all.
Turning north there is only one road
to take and setting out for a couple of miles on Corn Neck Road.
You will eventually reach a trail system has come to be known
as "The Maze." These grassy trails are unmarked but
well-maintained and a delight for your dog. You can pop out at
a stone wall or one of the best views on the East Coast. The
Clay Head Nature Trail runs for about one mile along the top
of the 70-foot bluffs. It is easy going but will be one of the
longest miles you've ever taken your dog on when you factor in
the frequent stops for watching the crashing waves or chartng
the progress of a passing vessel.
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